Bamboozle wrote:
First of all, all of my previous pontificating about Class A sections of ATW listed by name only being closed is apparently WRONG officially as of now.
I was technically correct but the rules were relaxed a year or so ago and strict enforcement was really up to the local WCO. The big change occurred only recently with the opening of Class A sections of Approved Trout Waters (like the Pohopoco) which were previously closed.
According to e-mail correspondence and telephone conversations I had with persons at the PFBC, ALL Class A sections whether they are stocked are not, whether they are sections of Approved Trout Streams listed by name only, upstream, downstream, cross stream and any which way you want to describe them, are OPEN to catch & releases fishing NOW!
For example, besides the Pohopoco or you can actually LEGALLY fish Section 8 of the Monocasy in Monocasy Park (which is on the Class A list but stocked) as long as you catch & release.
However, this change does NOT affect Class B, C, D…sections of Approved Trout Streams so for example the upper reaches of the Northkill Creek in Berks are closed because that section is not on the Class A List but the entire stream is listed presently as Approved Trout in Berks County.
I was also told next year the Summary will reflect these changes and the entire way the PFBC describes ATW’s will change. Going forward they will be referred to Stocked Trout Waters and apparently, the goal will be to list by SECTION as opposed to by name.
The other thing mentioned is that the emphasis on counties as a “boundary” in regards to streams that cross county lines and whether you can fish in one county where a stream is not listed versus a county where it is, will be going away at some point. The assumption being if Stocked Trout Waters are defined by section, the county boundary thing won’t be necessary. Streams will still be listed by county as a convenience but a regular Stocked Trout Water will be closed after March 1 regardless of what county it flows through.
The only thing no one clearly defined to me is whether there will be a Closed Period on Class B, C, D… streams that are NOT part of a Stocked Trout Stream. I have no reason to believe that will change but at this point because the emphasis is on opening ALL Class A to fishing year round, nobody seemed to know.
The bottom line is the people I spoke to acknowledged that the rules have been extremely confusing in regards to Class A streams and the Closed Period/C&R/harvest etc. This is the first step in trying to clear it up, but it is far from defined anywhere yet. For that reason, I am keeping my emails from the PFBC in my shirt pocket!
If anyone gets any contradictory info in regards to “the ALL Class A sections are open to C&R now” regardless of where they are from a WCO in their area, post it here and I’ll follow up and ask why because the info I posted here came from Law Enforcement and the head of a Regional HQ.
Bamboozle wrote:
First of all, all of my previous pontificating about Class A sections of ATW listed by name only being closed is apparently WRONG officially as of now.
I was technically correct but the rules were relaxed a year or so ago and strict enforcement was really up to the local WCO. The big change occurred only recently with the opening of Class A sections of Approved Trout Waters (like the Pohopoco) which were previously closed.
According to e-mail correspondence and telephone conversations I had with persons at the PFBC, ALL Class A sections whether they are stocked are not, whether they are sections of Approved Trout Streams listed by name only, upstream, downstream, cross stream and any which way you want to describe them, are OPEN to catch & releases fishing NOW!
For example, besides the Pohopoco or you can actually LEGALLY fish Section 8 of the Monocasy in Monocasy Park (which is on the Class A list but stocked) as long as you catch & release.
However, this change does NOT affect Class B, C, D…sections of Approved Trout Streams so for example the upper reaches of the Northkill Creek in Berks are closed because that section is not on the Class A List but the entire stream is listed presently as Approved Trout in Berks County.
I was also told next year the Summary will reflect these changes and the entire way the PFBC describes ATW’s will change. Going forward they will be referred to Stocked Trout Waters and apparently, the goal will be to list by SECTION as opposed to by name.
The other thing mentioned is that the emphasis on counties as a “boundary” in regards to streams that cross county lines and whether you can fish in one county where a stream is not listed versus a county where it is, will be going away at some point. The assumption being if Stocked Trout Waters are defined by section, the county boundary thing won’t be necessary. Streams will still be listed by county as a convenience but a regular Stocked Trout Water will be closed after March 1 regardless of what county it flows through.
The only thing no one clearly defined to me is whether there will be a Closed Period on Class B, C, D… streams that are NOT part of a Stocked Trout Stream. I have no reason to believe that will change but at this point because the emphasis is on opening ALL Class A to fishing year round, nobody seemed to know.
The bottom line is the people I spoke to acknowledged that the rules have been extremely confusing in regards to Class A streams and the Closed Period/C&R/harvest etc. This is the first step in trying to clear it up, but it is far from defined anywhere yet. For that reason, I am keeping my emails from the PFBC in my shirt pocket!
If anyone gets any contradictory info in regards to “the ALL Class A sections are open to C&R now” regardless of where they are from a WCO in their area, post it here and I’ll follow up and ask why because the info I posted here came from Law Enforcement and the head of a Regional HQ.
